44 The Smithsonian Institution 



pal publishers in the United States, and received with warm 

 thanks by Professor Laboulaye. 



In recognition of the disinterested work of the Institution, 

 many of the principal steamship companies granted to it im- 

 portant concessions in free freight, and without this friendly 

 aid the system could scarcely have grown to the proportion 

 it has now attained. Among others the Secretary made 

 special acknowledgment in earlier years of obligations to the 

 United States Mail Steamship Company, the Panama Rail- 

 road Company, and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company ; 

 to the North German Lloyd, to the Cunard Steamship Com- 

 pany, and to many of the principal publishing houses in this 

 country. 



The Royal Society, after acting as the agent of the Insti- 

 tution for several years, found in 1862 the constantly increas- 

 ing duties of distributing exchanges somewhat burdensome. 

 It was, therefore, deemed necessary to establish a salaried 

 agency at the expense of the Institution, to be located in 

 London, for Great Britain and its colonies. Messrs. William 

 Wesley & Son, booksellers, at 28 Essex Street, Strand, 

 were appointed the London agents. 



For the same reason that made a change necessary in the 

 administration of the affairs of the Institution in Great Brit- 

 ain, Doctor Felix Fliigel, of Leipsic, was appointed to at- 

 tend to exchange matters between Germany and the United 

 States, and subsequently exchanges between the United 

 States and Austria- Hungary and also Switzerland, were con- 

 ducted through the Leipsic agency. 



With the exception of the agencies of the Institution in 

 Great Britain and Germany, there are at present no salaried 

 officers of the Institution in foreign countries, all transactions 

 being conducted gratuitously, either by foreign official ex- 

 change bureaus or by libraries or scientific institutions which 



